Parental Concern
by BasketKiwi
Summary: And out of the chaos, a voice spoke: 'Smile and be happy, for it can always be worse'. And I smiled, and I was happy, and it did get worse. Sequel to DCMN! For RTChallenge


**Okay, so. This is from the R/T ficathon challengey-thing. For a better explanation, go to my profile. M'kay?**

**Title: **"Parental Concern"**  
Author: **BasketKiwi**  
Format & Word Count:** Fic; 983 words  
**Rating: **PG for flying lemon pie filling of doom**  
Prompt:** #8 (Unknown quote)**  
Warning:** none  
**Summary:** Tonks' Christmas during HBP. While at dinner with her parents, they decide to ask her what's wrong.

**Author's Note:** This is pretty much one of my delighted daydreams of someone _else_ being the clumsy one for once. n.n Honestly, reading/writing Clumsy!Tonks makes me feel so much better about my pesky "sorry Mom, I broke the toilet" thing a few months ago… Plus, I wrote Ted and Andromeda, who I've never done before. I'm not sure if their personalities fit, but I figured Ted had to be a little goofy, and that Andromeda probably must have retained a little of her high-class tendencies, so I tried to incorporate that. And I'm guessing Lupin's eyes are blue, though I've no real preference.

* * *

"Andromeda!"

"No, I haven't heard from her since Lucious was put in Azkaban. She has Bella to talk to, I suppose. . . . Doesn't want a "blood-traitor" like me," she said in a sad, but slightly mocking tone.

"_Andromeda!"_ he hissed.

"If she needs me, I'm here, but I won't help her with Dark stuff anymore. This war is getting worse and worse by the day and I've chosen my side. That's it."

"Annie-drommie-middie! . . . uh-ee!"

"Yes, I guess you're right, Daphne. Can you excuse me for one minute? Thank you."

"Aaandroooomedaaa!"

"Ted!" she whispered loudly, turning to Daphne's surprised face and smiling brightly until the baffled woman faced her husband again. Andromeda's eyes darkened as she turned back to her own spouse. "What _is_ it, Ted? If that iguana got out again, I swear – "

"No, Annie, look at Tonksie!" Ted whispered sadly, but urgently.

"Why, what's – oh. Oh, my, is she okay?" Andromeda twirled her knife agitatedly in her hand as she watched her thoroughly depressed-looking daughter play with her food gloomily.

"I think it's that man, Annie."

"The werewolf? _Still?_ I don't understand! As soon as I met the young man I _immediately_ gave my blessings; he's an angel, that one is!"

"Annie, do you think we should talk to her?"

"What, now?" she asked, slightly panicked.

"Andromeda."

"Okay, okay, you're absolutely right. I'm sorry." She stood up and said, "Happy Christmas, everyone. Thank you all for coming. We'll give the maid a break and bring dessert out ourselves."

Ted stood up and they walked towards the door, pausing to beckon to Tonks before continuing into the kitchen. "Thank you, Stacie. We'll get dessert. Is Freddy and everyone in the servants' room?"

The young maid put a pudding on a tray and smiled at her employers. "Yes. And thank you for letting us use the extra food, Andromeda and Theodore."

"Nonsense – " Andromeda started kindly.

"Ew! Please, don't call me that! It's Ted . . . or Teddy, but then I sound like a stuffed bear. . . . "

"Ted!" Andromeda whined at him and faced Stacie again. "That's nonsense, really. You're the one who served us all, you know, and on _Christmas day_. Thank _you_," she insisted.

"Enough grace, Mother, now what did you want to talk about," came a melancholy voice behind them. Tonks stood at the door, her dress – a brown satin that she'd hardly put up a fight with, much to Andromeda's disappointment – seemed to hang off of her in a stark contrast to her usual fitting clothes, and her hair was a plain brown with few curls.

"Thanks, Stace," Ted said to the rather stunned maid, who turned and walked into the extra room.

"Tonks, honey," her mother said patiently, purposely using her preferred name. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

For a second, a flicker of annoyance flashed on her face, and both parents were ready for her to say, "Yeah, I'm pregnant" or something equally dramatic. Andromeda squealed lightly. _Unless it _won't_ be sarcasm . . ._

"No. There's nothing to talk about." Tonks watched her mother breathe again. "Can we go back now? I was having fun stabbing my blueberries."

"Stabbing . . .?"

"I don't like the color," Tonks said moodily to the floor in front of her.

"Tonksie," Ted said softly. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it could be worse. We just wanna see you smile again."

Tonks sneered at the both of them and turned to walk out of the kitchen.

"Wait. Nymphadora – "

"DON'T!" Tonks whipped around and glared at the both of her parents, but the effect was lost slightly because her eyes were starting to water. The noise on the other side of the door dissipated. "Just _don't _call me that stupid, stupid name, okay? Because it _isn't _beautiful."

Andromeda and Ted stood frozen, waiting for something to happen. They didn't have to wait long.

"_Why_ am I bloody _crying_ over you?" She growled and kicked the nearby trash basket. Unfortunately, it wasn't as full as she'd thought and flew across the room to hit the handle of a pot on the stove. The lemon pie filling was catapulted straight onto Andromeda's face, who screamed and fell backwards at the impact, her hand flying out to grab something, but catching the edge of a plate on the counter. It flipped off to land on Ted's butt. Unfortunately, the pudding had been quite dense and sticky and the dry cream suctioned it there. Ted, of course, had yelled and grabbed his rear, jumping forward and knocking into the table, which in turn knocked over a bottle of wine (ready to be poured into individual glasses). The bottle shot out the dark red liquid onto Tonks' legs and shoes. She promptly slipped on it and fell flat on her bum.

It was silent again, though both parents were panicking about what effect this would have on their daughter. Andromeda, her face covered with (still quite hot) pie filling, announced in a rather pitiful voice, "See? It _did_ get worse."

Ted sighed sadly from his position half-sprawled out on the floor, half gripping the table to keep as much of himself out of the wine as possible. Tonks' face got very red until she coughed, and then her shoulders started shaking and she continued to let out strange coughing sobs.

Andromeda and Ted lifted their faces from their downcast, ashamed positions and stared at their daughter. She wasn't _crying!_

"HAHAHAHAHA! Y-You look so-so funny!" Tonks howled, falling backwards into the wine and flinging her arms and legs out at her sides, pretending she was swimming in it. "I wish I could have thrown a plate of pudding at _his _arse," she said dreamily as she sat up again.

And for the slightest moment, Ted and Andromeda could have sworn her eyebrow turned pink.

* * *

**Additional Author's Note**: Just wanted to say this is a kinda/sorta sequel to "Don't Call Me Nymphadora!". It's fine on its own, of course, but I just pictured them in succession I guess. Thanks for reading. xD 


End file.
